The news about the AP government’s Group II job offer and Rs.25-lakh purse came as a pleasant surprise to Olympian E. Rajani, who was finding it difficult to make both ends meet with the present ticket collector’s job at Mumbai.
Incidentally, Rajani represented India as the second goalkeeper of the Indian hockey team at the quadrennial Games. The Chittoor girl said she got half-pay while she was practising at national camps and the meagre amount was not sufficient to take care of herself and her family. “I can plan for a better living and also prepare for the future tourneys in a more organised manner,” the goalie told The Hindu . Ms. Rajani said she would be preparing for the Asian championship in Thailand in October. “The training at Bengaluru for eight months on latest astroturf helped us perform better at all the qualifying tournaments and at Olympics,” she added. “One should have sharp eyesight and loads of concentration. To sharpen eyesight the goalkeepers practice tennis ball catching, candle light watching and frequently take up psychological counselling. More than the players the goalkeepers slip into trauma in a defeat.”
